Pilot light assembly



March 5, 1957 MYSSE PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 1, 1955 Louis B.- Mysse INVENTOR.

United States Patent PILOT LIGHT ASSEMBLY Louis B. Mysse, Big Timber, Mont. Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,533 1 Claim. (Cl. 340-381) This invention relates generally to pilot light constructions, and is more particularly concerned with a readily installed and assembled pilot light assembly which includes means for readily replacing and installing a light bulb support element in said assembly.

A further object of the invention in conformance with that set forth above is to provide a housing member which is readily mounted in a support portion, said housing member including a readily mounted retaining clip having securing lug portions engageable with cooperating lug portions on a removable light socket element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily manufactured and economical pilot light construction which is convenient in use and relatively simple to maintain.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the novel pilot light assembly shown in position on a suitable support partition;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the pilot light assembly when removed from a support partition;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the pilot light assembly removed from a support partition;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the principal components of the pilot light assembly.

The novel pilot light assembly is indicated generally at and includes a housing member 12 which has an internal recess 14, said recess terminating in an upper threaded aperture portion 16, the outer portion of the housing member terminating at the upper portion in a shoulder portion 18, said collar being extendable through a suitable aperture portion of a suitable support partition indlcated at and securable therein in any suitable manner. A lens element 22, of any suitable color, is secured in an annular collar 24 which terminates in a downwardly extending, tubular securing portion 26 which is threaded into a threaded recess portion 16. It will be noted that the threaded tubular portion 26 includes a central aperture or passage portion 28 for permitting communication of light from the recess 14 of the housing to the lens element 22.

Although the housing member 12 is shown as being square in cross-section, it is to be understood that the cross-sectional configuration may be circular.

The housing member includes a pair of oppositely disposed, vertically extending grooved portions 30 and 32 which include, adjacent thereto and disposed on opposite sides thereof adjacent the bottom edge 34 of said housing member, a pair of outwardly extending connecting lugs 36 and 38.

An insulating plate 40 is provided with outwardly extending, oppositely disposed, projecting portions 42 and 44, the insulating plate being adapted to conform to the configuration of the lower portion of the housing member 12, and including a central aperture portion 46 communicating with the interior or recessed portion of the housing.

A retaining clip element 48 including a base or plate portion 50 includes upwardly extending, bendable tab portions 52 having transverse connecting ears 54, said retaining clip having the dual function of retaining the insulating plate 40 in a fixed position relative to the lower edge 34 of the housing member by means of the portions 52 being bent into the respective vertical grooved portions 30 and 32, and the ear portions 54 extending over upper edge portions of elements 36 and 38 of the housing member, the other function being to pro vide a means for connecting a removable light socket assembly indicated generally at 56. The base plate 50 of the retaining clip includes a central aperture portion 58 which is aligned with the aperture 46 of the insulating plate, and includes a pair of oppositely disposed, downwardly directed fastening lug elements 60, each of which includes free end portions directed toward the other, said free end portions being oppositely inclined relative to each other and having a somewhat acute angular relationship to the lower surface of the plate portion 50 of the retaining clip whereby the angular relationship thereof simulates a portion of a thread pitch. The free end portions may also include downwardly directed indentations 62, the purpose of which will subsequently be described.

The socket assembly 56 includes a tubular socket element 63 which has a pair of oppositely disposed bayonet slot portions 64 extending downwardly from the upper edge thereof (only one being shown), said bayonet slot portions 64 removably supporting a suitable light bulb 66 within the housing, said light bulb including outwardly projecting bayonet lug portions 68 on a lower end portion thereof. The socket element 63 includes a pair of outwardly extending securing lug portions 70 which are engageable in overlying relationship with an upper surface portion of the retaining lug elements 60 of the retaining clip 48, said securing lug portions including on the lower surface thereof a downwardly projecting portion 72 which is engageable in overlying relationship with the detent portion 62 of the retaining lug element 60 for more positively retaining the socket assembly in a relative fixed position with respect to the retaining clip. The socket element 63 has secured at the bottom end thereof by means of a conducting rivet 74, for example, a pair of conducting arms 76 and 78 which have a suitable insulating member 79 interposed therebetween, the securing rivet 74 providing a conducting path for current to a lower terminal on the bulb 66 (not shown), the conductor 78 being grounded to the socket element 63 to complete a circuit to the bulb 66. The elements 76 and 78 may each include upstanding end portions 80 and 82, respectively, for the purpose of threadingly mounting suitable screw-type terminal connecting elements 84.

Thus, it is believed readily apparent that the socket assembly 56 may be readily inserted or removed from the retaining clip 48 which is secured on the housing member 12. Furthermore, it is believed readily apparent that the entire assembly may be readily assembled and the same may be readily mounted on a support partition.

Various positional directional terms, such as front, rear, etc. are utilized herein to have only a relative connotation to aid and describe the device and are not intended to require any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the Patented Mar. 5, 19 57 principles of the invention; Further, since numerous modificationy and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described; and accordingl'y all suitable modifications and equivalents may he resorted to; falling: within a the: scope of the'dnvention asclai'med';

Wliat-isclaime'd as new-isas followsz A pilot light assemblycomprising. a housing member, alens" assemblytlireadedly secured on an upper portion of said housing member, a retaining clip element secured orra -16wefedge portiotrof saidhousingmember, insulatin'g means interposed between said'housing and clip eleme'nt; said clip element including a central aperture portion opening-inton interior of s'aidihousing and having downwardly extending" fastening lug portions adjacent said aperture portion,- a tubular socket element removalily'retaining a=replaceablelightbulb therein, said socket elerrre'ntf Being removably retained within said housing and having outwardly extending securing lug portions loclingly engaging the retaining lug portions on said clip element, and acondiict'drtrrninal securingassembly on a lower'portion of said so'cket element for providing a' current: to thbulbiii saidso'cket element, said fastening lug" portions and said clip element having a pair of" oppositely disposed; downwardly and: inwardly directedfasr tening portions, the securinglug portions of said socket element being engageable in overlying relationship of said fastening lug portions, said fastening lug portions on said clip element including free end portions directed toward each other, said free end portions being oppositely inclined at an acute angle relative to a lower surface portion of said clip element for simulating a thread pitch, fastening and securing lugs including cooperating indentations and protrusions-thereon tendingto'retain said lugs in a relative fixed posi'u'on, said tubular socket element including oppositely disposed bayonet slot portions extending downwardlyfroman upperedge portion thereof for removably receiving oppositely projecting bayonet lugs on a bulb, the lower end portion of said socket eleinent including a pair of overlying, mutually insulated conductor elements each having threaded terminal fasten iug elementslthereon.

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